How tall was Victor Wembanyama at 13 years old? Everything you need to know about the San Antonio Spurs star

Victor Wembanyama is touted by many as the best prospect in basketball since LeBron James entered the NBA more than 20 years ago. “Wemby’s” combination of size, length, mobility and skills has created almost never-before-seen hype from a rookie.

Wembanyama was already on the radar of most basketball scouts across the globe when he was barely in his teens. He stood 5-foot-11 inches when he was only 13 years old while playing for Nanterre’s youth system.

Michael Allard, then the coach of the club, reportedly mistook him to be one of the many coaches who observe their training.

A growth spurt pushed "Wemby" to 7'2" when he was 15 years old.

For those who know “Wemby,” his height wasn’t that surprising. Felix Wembanyama, Victor’s father, stood 6’6”. He was a former track and field star who participated in the long jump, high jump and triple jump.

The mother, Elodie de Fautereau, was also quite tall. She was 6’3” and used to be a basketball player and coach.

Unsurprisingly, Victor Wembanyama’s siblings are steep in basketball as well. Eve stands 6’1” while Oscar has the same height as their father.

The young Wembanyama was sent to FC Barcelona on a loan in 2018 to compete with the team in the under-14 Minicopa del Rey tournament. A year later, he debuted in pro basketball with Nanterre, his childhood team, and stayed with them until 2021.

Victor Wembanyama was listed as 7’2” by FIBA basketball when he competed with France in the Euro under-16 tournament.

As “Wemby” grew, he lost none of the coordination and mobility that were apparent before he even reached six feet. It’s part of the reason why LeBron James dubbed him an alien while Steph Curry pointed out the “cheat code” vibes in him.

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The San Antonio Spurs officially checked Victor Wembanyama’s height

Victor Wembanyama was listed in most mock drafts as 7-foot-4 inches. Nobody opposed the figure, particularly when he towered over 7’1” French teammate Rudy Gobert in practice.

The NBA, however, changed its policy heading into the 2019-20 season. Draft prospects or rookies will have to be measured without their shoes on.

During Victor Wembanyama’s introduction to San Antonio fans, the Spurs decided to check the rookie’s height without shoes.

Mike Finger of San Antonio Express-News had this to say about the event:

“But on the day of his introductory press conference at the AT&T Center on Saturday, Wembanyama took off his shoes, straightened his back, stood still, and allowed his new employers to take a true scientific accounting of the distance between the top of his scalp and the soles of his feet.

“The exact number, per a Spurs official?

“Seven feet, three-and-one-half inches.”

[Finger] Wembanyama took off his shoes, straightened his back, stood still, and allowed his new employers to take a true scientific accounting of the distance between the top of his scalp and the soles of his feet. The exact number, per a Spurs official? Seven feet, three-and-one-half inches. by u/pcwgussej in nba

The French phenom has indeed literally come a long way from his days as a blossoming player who hadn’t reached six feet yet.

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